Thursday, December 22, 2011

Here is an easy to make Salmon recipe that will even please people who aren't big cooked salmon fans (like my mother and I... who happened to make the meal.

While down in Florida this weekend my Grandma made sure to pick up some food to have in the house, one item was a GIGANTIC piece of salmon. Of course my mother and I NEVER cook salmon but hey, can't let good food go to waste. So we headed out to whole foods and grabbed some ingredients to make the best meal possible, and let me say we were both pleasantly surprised and my grandparents flipped over the meal!

Baked Salmon with Lemon-Thyme Flaky Salt

Ingredients (Serves 4):

1 shallot, finely chopped

4 salmon fillets, skinless

4 teaspoons olive oil, divided

Sea salt and pepper

1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh thyme leaves

1 teaspoon flaky salt, such as Maldon sea salt

Finely grated zest of 2 lemons

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350°F. Sprinkle half the shallot in a baking dish large enough to hold all of the fish in a single layer. Rub each fillet all over with a teaspoon of olive oil. Lightly season one side of each fillet with cooking salt and pepper. Place fillets on top of shallots in the baking dish, seasoned side down, and sprinkle with remaining shallot. Bake 12 to 15 minutes or until flesh is opaque and flakes with a fork.

While fish bakes, prepare the seasoning salt by combining thyme, flaky salt and lemon zest in a small bowl. Mix gently. The salt mixture will be slightly wet and clumpy. When fish is done, sprinkle a little bit of the seasoning salt over each fillet, making sure each portion gets a bit of salt, zest and thyme.

Serve immediately with any remaining seasoning salt if desired.

This simple dish of baked fish topped with a fresh citrus-herb salt mixture can be easily prepared on a weeknight. Serve with your favorite grain and vegetables.

Monday, December 12, 2011

It's starting to get cold and what is better than a hearty pasta dinner after a long day? In my opinion, not much, but eating pasta all the time isn't a very healthy, so now I introduce you to my new favorite find DeBoles Pasta.

Skip the white pasta, or even the whole wheat and try out one or all of there many options ranging from spinach, to rice to quinoa and much more, some even come enhanced with flax seeds!

For my dinner I chose to use the Spinach Fettuccini because as you know by now, I love my Hints of Green!

Sausage and Spinach Fettuccini with Sautéed Greens

Ingredients

- 1 Chicken Apple Sausage Link (can be substituted)

- Handful of Broccoli Rabe

- Handful of Mustard Greens

- 2 oz Spinach Fettuccini

- 1.5 tbsp EVOO

Remove the casing from the sausage and add to hot pan with EVOO, sauté until cooked through about 3 minutes.

Dice up greens and add mixed greens to the pan and sauté for 3 minutes when greens wilt.

While the sausage and greens are cooking be sure to have the pasta cooking. Once the pasta is done strain and then add into the pan with sausage and greens. Add in a half a teaspoon of EVOO if needed and mix and serve.

Wednesday, November 23, 2011

I read a recipe in a magazine a few years back that incorporated Asian Pears into salad. I have since been addicted to the costly fruit, so I do try and put it to good use. Here is a recipe for one of my favorite salads.

Ingredients:

For Salad:

- Handful of Spinach Leaves

- Handful of Romaine Lettuce

- Handful of Pea Shoots

- 4-6 Strawberries

- 1/2 Asian Pear

- 1 stalk Hearts of Palm

- 1/4 Cucumber

- 1/4 Avocado

- 3oz Chicken

For Dressing:

- EVOO

- Balsamic Vinegar

- Water

- 1 Egg Yolk

For the Salad:

Well folks it’s a salad, so I will keep it simple. Cut up the lettuce, dice up the vegetables, slice the fruit and chicken and mix it all in a bowl.

For the Dressing:

I use this container to make measuring easy and so I have dressing for a few days. 2 parts vinegar, 1 part water, 1 part EVOO, 1 egg yolk... then SHAKEEEEEE!

Tuesday, November 8, 2011

Growing up I was always told to try food, and if I didn't like it I didn't have to eat it again. Well I have not found many things I haven't liked.

I remember being away at sleep-away camp and when other kids would request candy for visiting day I begged my mom to find me sheets of seaweed to snack on. She thought it was an odd request but non the less she found them and I was a happy camper.

Well it has been about 12 years since my summers at camp and seaweed still is a top snack in my life. It has also become much more mainstream. While I still go to M2M (Asian market with tons of options and bulk packs) you can find Seaweed snacks at Trader Joe's nationwide and even at bodega's around the city.

I was an avid roasted seaweed eater but now with other oil options as well as wasabi flavor this healthy snack has come a long way. Go pick some up and try it out for yourself.

Monday, November 7, 2011

Eating food that tastes good and is good for you is much easier than people seem to think. I believe in simplicity and my fridge and cabinets reflect the way I eat. Every Monday I take an hour to go to the Farmer's Market and Whole Foods, Trader Joe's, or Food Emporium or a combination of the three, I then go home and stock my fridge with all of my fresh ingredients.

The reason I go the same day each week is because I am usually all out of food. In my fridge I keep foods that only have a shelf life of about a week. In doing so I make sure that I am having the freshest and most pure ingredients. The fewer the ingredients on the label the better, and I try to keep any labeled food out of the fridge.

Which brings me to my cabinets; I keep them stocked with staples, and items which have minimal items on the ingredient lists.

Now, welcome to my fridge....

As you can see it is full of bright colors and not many packaged items are stored. Now let's go though shelf by shelf.

Shelf 1:

- Kale

- Broccoli

- Mustard Greens

- Mizuna

I always like to have ingredients for green juice in my fridge and Kale and Broccoli are two things that I always toss in the juicer. Mustard Greens and Mizuna I have been sautéing with EVOO, Jalapeño and Sea Salt and eating alone, as a side dish or mixing into salads, pastas or eggs.

Shelf 2:

- Swiss Chard

- Spinach

- Crunchy Sprouts

- Sweet Pea Shoots

- Butternut Squash Cubes

- Orange and Red Cherry Tomatoes

- Rotisserie Chicken Breast

Like the green vegetables on the shelf above I use Swiss Chard and Spinach the same way. I also use the Swiss Chard in my homemade Miso Soup. Crunchy Sprouts, Sweet Pea Shoots and tomatoes I add into salads or snack on by the handful. I always pick up a rotisserie chicken breast to have available if I am in need of a quick meal or quick protein fix before a morning workout. I picked up butternut squash cubes as well not for a soup this week but to roast with some other veggies as a side dish or addition to pasta.

Shelf 3:

- Asparagus

- Butternut Squash Soup

- Organic Miso

- Strawberries

- Pineapple

- Blueberries

- Raspberries

- Blackberries

- Kombuca

- Rice Vinegar

- Hearts of Palm

- Mayonnaise

It is important for me to have mixed berries, I snack on them throughout the day as well as evening and also use strawberries when making morning smoothies. Organic Miso, Rice Vinegar, Kombucha, Hearts of Palm and Mayonnaise are staples in my fridge. I enjoy making my own miso based soup filled with veggies, use rice vinegar on rice as well as salads and other dishes, kombucha is a great drink alternative to my ever favorite WATER, hearts of palm make it into every salad dish I make and mayonnaise comes in handy from time to time in salad dressings and other dishes. I made Butternut Squash soup a few weeks ago and portioned it out into containers and have been defrosting a container each week; it comes in handy to have homeade soup. I also picked up some asparagus to enjoy grilled with some fish for dinner and in other dishes throughout the week.

Drawer 1:

- Bucheron - flakey, creamy goat's milk cheese

- Rustico Red Pepper - sheep's milk cheese

- Tilapia

- Branzino

- Cockles

Being allergic to dairy from a cow I like to try a new cheese now and then that is goat or sheep based and today while shopping I decided to pick up two. I had not tried either and am pleased with both the taste and texture alone and look forward to incorporating them into some dishes this week as well as enjoying plain. Fish is a great lunch so I decided to pick up two pieces as well as some cockles to add a little flavor to the tilapia.

Drawer 2:

- Carrots

- Apples

- Avocados

- Oranges

- Lemons

- Beets

All of these items are staples each week in my fridge; I eat them as is add them to salads or use to make juice.

Drawer 3:

- Sweet Potatoes

- Cucumbers

- Onion

- Garlic

- Lemon

- Lime

Again these are items that you can always find in my fridge, I stock up on cucumbers as most of the juice I make has 1-2 cucumbers. I also keep sweet potatoes available as a healthy addition to any lunch or dinner. Onion, garlic, lemon and lime add flavor to any dish and should be on hand when cooking.

Now that you see how I keep my fridge stocked it is time to look into my cabinet.

Shelf 1:

- Whole Wheat Cous Cous

- Lipton Cold Brew Iced Tea

- Mixed Grains from Trader Joes

- Quinoa from Trader Joes

- Brown Rice

All low in ingredients these foods are not highly processed and good staples to have available for any meal.

Shelf 2:

- De Boles Organic Angel Hair with Whole Wheat and Flax

- De Boles Gluten Free Rice Fettuccini

- De Boles Organic Spinach Fettuccini

- De Boles Organic Artichoke Flour Spaghetti

- Organic Chicken Broth

- Israeli Cous Cous

- Walnut Halves

- Sunflower Seeds

- Almonds

- Brown Rice

Clearly when I find something I stick with it and De Boles is a new favorite brand of mine and I am not letting it go anywhere. Having been on gluten free diets in the past when testing allergies I have learned what is best for my body and that is staying away from white flour. De Boles has tons of gluten free and whole grain pasta options which are a great household staples. Chicken Broth should be a staple in any home, and try the low sodium option (your body will thank you). Nuts and seeds are great for snacking and adding to salads, and more brown rice never hurt.

As you know by now I love my green vegetables, and after my last few trips to the farmers market my love has only grown stronger . Once or twice a week, I head over to Lani’s Farm stand at the Union Square Farmer’s Market.

I always find myself drawn to Lani’s because they have vegetables cooking as you are shopping. They usually have somewhere between 2 and 6 vegetables going at once and they prepare them perfectly. Each vegetable is cooked EXACTLY the same way, Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Sea Salt, a little Jalapeño and THAT IS IT, does it get any easier? *note: some greens are blanched in water for a minute prior to sautéing*

After trying what they have cooked I usually choose 3 vegetables to base my dishes around for the week. Below are my most recent additions to my life, and you should consider adding them to yours. Try these vegetables prepared both as mentioned above and raw.

Bok Choy - Also known as Chinese white cabbage, this vegetable is a great addition to your diet and can be found year round in farmer’s markets and supermarkets anywhere. The healthiest member of the cabbage family is full of Vitamin C, Calcium, Dietary Fiber and Potassium. Enjoy this vegetable prepared many ways, sauté, braise or add to a soup. Mildly flavored with a tender sweetness this vegetable is a welcome accompaniment to many meals without overpowering.

Italian Dandelion - This edible green has been used as medicine. Dandelions are very nutritious having more vitamins and minerals than most vegetables. The leaves are eaten in a salad or boiled in water to make tea, which is known to strengthen and purify the blood. To learn more about this top ranking green check out this article Health Benefits of Dandelions .

Mustard Greens - Mustard greens are low in calories and contain a large amount of antioxidants. They provide an excellent source of vitamins B6, C, and E, folic acid, calcium, carotenes, manganese, copper, and fiber.They also offer a good source of phosphorus, vitamins B1 and B2, magnesium, protein, potassium, and iron. Studies have shown that mustard greens have anticancer effects and assist in supporting bone health. Mustard greens are also beneficial especially for women who are going through menopause.They have the ability to protect against breast cancer and heart disease.

Mizuna - One of the mildest mustard greens, mizuna, which is often found in mesclun mixes is high in immune-boosting vitamin C, folate, and iron. It also contains powerful glucosinolates antioxidants linked to decreased cancer risk. One of the most famous and unique Japanese greens, they are mildly peppery in flavor. Usually eaten raw in salads, they are also good when lightly cooked.

Swiss Chard - With white being the mildest flavor of all different color chards, this vegetable is good even in soups, or replace spinach in any dish for a meatier texture.Like spinach, it is the store house of many phytonutrients that have health promotional and disease prevention properties. Rich in Vitamin K, also rich source of omega-3 fatty acids; vitamin-A and flavonoids anti-oxidants like ß carotene, α-carotene, lutein and zeaxanthin this vegetable will surely enhance your diet.

Thursday, October 20, 2011

With Fall in full swing it is important to take advantage of both the fruits and vegetables the season has to offer. Fall is all about grounding foods and what is more grounding then a Butternut Squash?

About Me

Born and raised in Long Island, NY I have seen many women go through the ups and downs of weight loss and gain. I myself had tried many diets and extreme measures to stay in shape. After graduating from Indiana University with a BA from the Health Physical Education and Recreation School I found myself working behind a desk for 5 years.
I woke up one day and realized that I was turning back into the young girl with eating issues and it was time to take hold of my life. I left my desk job and enrolled at The Institute for Integrative Nutrition.
While in school I have been learning various dietary theories as well as using them in my own life. In the 9 months since leaving my job I am the happiest and healthiest I have been in years and never felt better.
Now it is time for me to begin to help others overcome fears they have with food and other sorted issues.
Feel like a FREE consultation? Visit me at http://www.hintofgreens.healthcoach.integrativenutrition.com/ and fill out a form. Otherwise please enjoy my posts and feel free to follow me on twitter @hintofgreens.